Children of the Obelisk
by The Hope Lions
Summary: 25 years after the events of touchstone of Ra all of Sibuna's children now live in Anubis house. When odd Luce shows up however nothing will ever be the same. Excerpt:There is a story I will tell all my children and my children's children. It is a story of love, friendship, adventures, and magic:yet, it is also a story of loss, death and destruction.
1. Chapter 1 House of Beginnings

I love House of Anubis and decided to write this idea I've had for a while. I really want a season 4, anyone else, even though I'm 15 and WAY out of the target age range. The show is something special and I miss it. Hope You enjoy, please review. No matter how critical they make me happy.

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Chapter 1

House of Beginnings

There is a story I will tell all my children and my children's children. It is a story of love, friendship, adventures, and magic:yet, it is also a story of loss, death and destruction. Most of all however, it's a story of four teenagers, children really- the children of the obelisk.

Apparently, it is true what they say about England- it's always raining.

Or maybe that isn't true, I haven't exactly had a chance to find out considering the fact that I've been here for oh... three hours and that entire time was spent in either a cab or an airport. That's the thing about going to England to go to school-no sightseeing. I've always wanted to climb Big Ben, see Buckingham Palace and touch the sun on the Eye, but did I get a chance to do any of that? No. I went from Logan airport in Boston to Heathrow in London to a cab to my new school.

I'd always wanted to go to school in England, but considering the fact that this school would be my 4th high school and I was only a month into my Sophomore year... I wished I could have waited until next year.

Then I would have lost the scholarship though and that couldn't happen. Where was Aunt Emily supposed to come up with the money to pay for a fancy boarding school in England to get me away from my home with all the dark memories? Emily herself had forgone going to college due to lack of funds. No, all the money came from the school and all the travel fees were sponsored by my hometown. Everyone knew I needed to get away. In a town as small as mine everyone knows everything; it was no secret I'd spent my life dreaming of leaving. Now, however, with my parents dead at my dad's hands and the life long limp in my left leg from my own bullet wound I needed to leave. Every corner held memories, shadows, and no one could stand to see me suffer like that. My family friends pitched in to send me away so I could finally have the fresh start I desperately needed.

_No more dwelling on that Luce. You're free, that's all that matters, and now you can start anew. _I'd been telling myself that for a while now, but to be honest I still didn't believe it.

The cabbie dropped me off by my new boarding house, Anubis, and I was left alone to gather my thoughts. I needed to make a good impression, but also avoid to many questions. Starting late was weird, but the truth was not exactly how I'd like to introduce myself. After all, if a girl's dad is nuts what is to say she's not too.

The house looked different than I imagined it would considering how old the property was. Then again, this house itself had only been re-built 35 years ago or so. Back on graduation day a while ago there was an earthquake that destroyed part of Anubis house. Looking at new and old pictures you couldn't really tell the difference, but the wood was new, the stones rebuilt. A new person hiding in an old body, exactly like me.

Unable to delay the inevitable any longer I rapped on the the door tentatively. Should I knock or can I just go right in? This is my home after all... but at the same time it wasn't.

Apparently knocking had been the wrong choice because a boy opened the door, "What you knocking for? Who are you anyways?"

"I'm Lucetta Ra, Luce really no one calls me Lucetta," or at least no one alive. My mom had before... Nope. Moving on Luce the past is the past.

"Oh. Are you Sarah's roommate? A bit late aren't you? The term started a month ago," the darkly toned boy has a clear English accent, most likely he'd been raised right in London. I know my accents.

"There were complications," I answered openly walking into the house a single suite case behind me. "But I'm here now."

"Whatever you say Miss American. Hey, since you're American do you have a gun in that bag of yours?" Wow. I hate stereotypes?

Without answering his rude question I moved on to one of my own. "There's a groundskeeper right, who runs the house. Should I speak with him?"

"Yeah, Andy said to send you up," the boy pointed to the mostly glass office that overlooked the main entrance. "Careful with him he's a right nasty fellow. My parents say he's even meaner then the old caretaker, Victor."

"Your parents?" I questioned and the boy gave me a sly grin.

"I guess you wouldn't know would you? Name's Anubis Rutter, but everyone calls me A. My twin sister Sarah will be your roommate. Our dad's the headmaster, mom the curator of our on sight museum." I'd figured his dad was the headmaster as soon as his last name was spoken. Great, just great. If I somehow pissed off my roommate who did I have to deal with but the headmaster. Now I knew who to be nice to.

"But that's not all, there is a reason they call this place House of Protege. You've got Greg, whose dad Jerome went here with my parents. Felix, whose dad Alfie did the same. Lily, whose mom Amber came here for a long time. Nick, whose mom KT graduated with my dad. And then Alice, whose parents Eddie and Patricia met here. You're the only non- protege here!"

Okay. I had to admit it was really weird that they'd all had kids who were in the same year of school, but them being put together isn't that odd considering who the headmaster was. I could see him putting friend's kids in their old house.

"Good to know. I'll have to come down and meet everybody after I meet this Andy of yours."

Andy smiled knowingly before heading back into the living room, most likely to tell everybody about their odd new American roommate.

I, myself, headed up the stairs suitcase in had ready to meet this malicious Andy.


	2. Chapter 2 House of Creeps

Chapter 2

House of Creeps

"Yes, what do you want?" a cool voice answered my knock on the office door. Swinging the door open Andy glared at me sending a shiver down my spine. Still, at that moment, I stood up just a little bit straight. No way in Hell was I letting this guy bully me. "You must be Lucetta Ra. Come in."

Andy looked about 55 and bitter. His gray hair still held a tint of auburn around the ears and I smiled imagining this cross man a look he gave me

however snatched the smirk right off my face. His eyes were so dark that I couldn't tell where the pupil began. It was just all black. Normally people with red

hair had light eyes, but his cold dark eyes sent a shiver of fear through me. I shouldn't be here with him, I really, really, shouldn't be here with him. He

squinted a single eye almost like he felt the same thing, but that wasn't possible. I've never liked adults and creepy guys like him were especially bad. That was all I was feeling I told myself but once again even I couldn't believe my words.

"Hmm, yes. I just wanted to go over a few rules. The attic and the cellar are 100% off limits. Anyone found in either area will be subject to harsh punishment. Curfew is 8 O'clock, and again anyone found out of the house at that time will be punished. 10 is lights out and if I even hear a noise after that point.."

"The offender will be punished, yeah I kind of got that."

Andy gave me the devil's glare, but I didn't care. I felt like I shouldn't be near him, but when I thought about it I wasn't exactly scared.

"Don't get smart with me young miss. Or you will be punished. I don't care that this is your first day in this country being rude to your elders is considered wrong and it will result in punishment. Understood."

Not wanting to open my mouth and risk another snide comment I just nodded my head and left quickly. Anubis said he didn't like Andy, but I had a feeling I was going to hate him. Just great.

Making my way down to the living room I found myself faced with a brunette girl who looked a lot like me. We both had the same dark hair, green eyes, and even the body shape was similar. I also noticed just how much this girl looked like her lighter haired brother Anubis. This must be Sarah.

"Hi. I'm sorry if A gave you the cold shoulder before. To be honest he does that with everybody. I'm Sarah and this is..." Sarah repeated the names her brother spoke earlier this time giving me a face to go with. Greg had dirty blonde hair and sharp features. Felix had some African blood somewhere down the line. Lily looked like a model/ Barbie curly blonde hair an blue eyes included. Nick's skin wasn't as dark as Felix's, but it certainly was darker than the rest of us. Alice didn't exactly look goth, but her tomboy tastes were obvious in the dark and plain clothes she wore. Personally leather jackets aren't my thing but to each her own.

"It's real nice to meet you all, but I'm going to go unpack," I told them awkwardly. As I made my way upstairs I noticed only the Rutter twins bothered to let their eyes follow me as I went. Whatever.

I unpacked quickly before settling on my bed to read a book about aliens made of light and hybrid humans they created when healing. The series was old, but the YA books from back then couldn't be beat. Except maybe by author Hope Lions, she rocked, but mainly because she wrote her books like it was still 30 years ago.

Sarah came up eventually to tell me dinner was ready, but i told her i wasn't hungry. It wasn't true of course, I was starving, but I felt awkward around the others and decided privacy was best. After a month of everyone wanting to know if I was alright I needed some time without people.

"Hey can I ask you something? I mean if it's not to personal." I was sure it would be far too personal, but considering the fact that Sarah was the only one who'd even remotely acknowledged my existence I would have to answer her.

"Shoot," i told her. After shooting a confused glance Sarah nodded in understanding and asked her question. "How did you get your limp? I've never seen someone our age who looks like she practically needs a cane. Sarah wasn't trying to be rude, but never the less I felt offended. Still I'd promised myself to answer her question honestly.

"I got shot in the leg about a month ago. It's all healed now, but I'll probably limp for the rest of my life."

Clearly that wasn't the answer Sarah had been expecting because she backed from the room without saying anything else. It seemed that even when I tried to be nice and open people felt affronted by me. Nothing I could do now,

By the time Sarah came up from dinner I was pretending to be asleep and suffering from jet lag. What she didn't realize is that I was now 5 hours ahead of what I was at home and therefore not tired. I heard Sarah crawl into bed and fall asleep quickly as if she hadn't slept in a week.

5 hours later I still lie in my bed awake wondering if this move had been a good idea. It didn't matter, I kept telling myself, you're stuck here. Still I wished that wasn't so and I could just go home to my parents alive and happy.

I heard a creak from Sarah's bed as she stood up and walked from the room. Thinking nothing of it I waited for her return until I realized a half hour had gone by. Okay, that was a really long bathroom break. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but I don't care. Sliding my feet into some slippers I wandered out of my room to investigate.


	3. Chapter 3 House of Mysteries

Chapter 3

House of Mystery

As I suspected Sarah wasn't in the bathroom and hadn't wandered over to Lily and Alice's room for a midnight chat. Actually, when I poked my head into the other girl's room to check all I saw was Lily with cucumbers covering her eyes. Alice too had disappeared from her bed. I wandered downstairs silently hoping that anyone who saw me would assume I missed dinner and wanted a snack. It was true, I did want a snack, but when I heard muffled crying coming from the kitchen the idea of food left my head. Sarah, with a stumbling Alice in tow crawled out from behind an odd, opening, oven. What the heck? How on earth did that stone slab move itself up and down? I figured the oven opened into the forbidden basement, but why did Alice and Sarah even want to go down there in the first place?

Maybe I've been reading to many YA fantasy books, but the only thing that came to mind was that Alice and Sarah were involved in something, something big, and something supernatural.

My entire life I've searched the local paper for things that seemed off hoping they'd point me in the direction of my specials. Maybe I'm nuts, but I honestly knew they were out there. If I was right and they were I knew where they were living. Sarah and/or Alice was a special and somehow I was going to find my way in.

Yet how could I? If I knew one thing about specials it was that their lives were hard and they trusted few. Sarah and Alice probably had known each other their entire lives. How was I, a stranger, going to get involved in something like this?

Unsure what else to do I went back to bed.

Come morning I discovered Alice was sick and wouldn't be going to school. Thinking of her stumbling around last night my gut told me that blindness was her only ailment and I hoped to God that she'd be okay. (Don't give me that look. I want her fine so she's fine, not just so I can get in on the secret.)

I walked over to school alone after skipping out on breakfast quickly. The only person who spoke with me was Sarah and she was too distressed over whatever had happened to Alice to remember me. I didn't blame her. Old friends over new girls always. Especially when Sarah could have partially been responsible for whatever accident plunged Alice into darkness.

On my way over I was so encompassed in my thoughts that I literally ran into a woman. Her dyed hair was a light brown, but from her eyebrows being the same color I guessed that was around her natural color. She stood about 5'5 and when she spoke I was startled to hear an American accent.

"Sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," she told me. I doubted that. This middle aged women looked like she didn't miss a beat, but the fact that she was willing to take the blame spoke well for her character.

"No, really my fault," the women raised an eyebrow before smiling.

"It's nice to have another American on campus. It's Lucetta right? Fabian, I mean Mr. Rutter, told me about you. I'm sorry to hear about what happened with your parents."

Oh so this was Sarah and Anubis's mother, Nina I think A said. "Thanks," I told her softly unsure how else to response.

"I never knew my parents," she continued obviously trying to make me feel better. "They died when I was little. You're lucky. It's better to have loved and lost then never have loved at all."

"Lord Alfred Tennyson" I responded quickly.

Mrs. Rutter raised a surprised eyebrow before laughing, "Quite a reader aren't you. I like you Luce. You remind me of me at your age, though, I hope you get into less trouble than I did."

So Sarah was definitely the special then. After all, if her mother was always in trouble (special attribute one) then she was a special. If Mrs. Rutter is a special so is her daughter. Most likely anyways.

"I'll try to ma'am," i promised sweetly. "I like your necklace by the way." I noted. Confused Mrs. Rutter looked down at her necklace-less breasts so I explained. "Sorry Couldn't help but notice the tan-line. It hasn't quite faded yet. It's the same shape as Sarah's necklace. Considering that the fact that that necklace looked Egyptian and you're a curator I deducted that Sarah's necklace was once your necklace now handed down."

"Wow. Yes, it was mine given to me by an old friend whom Sarah just happens to be named after," Nina responded quietly. "You should get going. Even a girl with your intelligence has to go to class. I started late here too and I know how hard make up work can be."

Waving goodbye to Sarah's mysterious mother I wondered about what the two Rutter girls could be. Was Anubis a special too? And if he was why was Alice investigating with Sarah and not her brother. Maybe it only passed down through girls and the Y chromosome killed it? I had no idea what they were.

The only class I wasn't actually ahead in was British history considering that I'd been taking US History instead. At least the transition would be easy academically, but socially... I went back to the house for lunch and ended up eating it alone in my room.

Days flew by. Within 24 hours Alice's eyesight returned and no one but me was any wiser to what happened. Multiple times I tried opening the oven door and going into the basement, but it seemed to need a key (a key shaped exactly like the eye of Ra and Sarah's necklace.)

Finally however I caught my break. I was heading into my room to do homework when I noticed Alice and Sarah's hushed voices inside. Pressing my ear against the door I could make out their conversation.

"We have to figure out a way back there. Why put a blinding light if there's nothing to hide?" Alice asked.

"I know there must be something there, but we can't do anything until we know how to not go blind," Sarah replied.

"You could ask your mom," Alice suggested. "I mean it! She had the locket and I'd bet she used it to go down there. The footprints are probably hers. Maybe she knows how to get past the light."

"I'm sure she does, but we can't ask. He said that anyone could be the serpent."

Now I was getting somewhere! All i needed was a name.

"Can we trust him? How do we know Osiris isn't the bad guy. He is the god of the dead after all." Osiris? As in the Egyptian mythological god of the dead? Maybe it was code.

Or maybe it wasn't. You never knew with specials.

"I don't think we can ask my mom. Even if she isn't the one trying to get to the mosaic she would stop us saying it's too dangerous," Sarah countered.

"Did Osiris not say anything else in the vision?" Alice asked. "Did he give any clues."

"No," Sarah replied regretfully. "All he said was that the serpent has sent his champion to find the ma'at scales and he was sending his..."

"But there are others right? Three others a champions. One of Anubis, who is called the Chosen One. One for Osiris, you, the Osirian. One for Isis... I'm thinking Isisium, and then one for Horus I think Horusian is good," Alice reminded.

Giggling Sarah commented, "Those names are rubbish. But I've got nothing better so you win." Settling down Sarah spoke again, "Who do you think they are. Osiris said they were here, in this house, but I can't because Apophis' champion is here too!"

"You know that makes 1/2 of the people living in this house the chosen of the gods... don't you think that's a bit of an odd coincidence?" Alice asked. "I mean okay so having one or two in a creepy school like this is acceptable, but why would all five congregate at the place of the scales when only one knew they were here?"

"I don't know,Al," a resigned Sarah told her best friend. "Maybe it's because of the scales we, or our parents, were drawn here. Who knows and actually I don't care."

"I think Luce is one of them." Alice's words startled me. What? I didn't exactly know what they were talking about but I was no special. That's for sure.

"What makes you think that?" Sarah questioned. "I mean i don't know either way, but why?"

"She's weird," Alice pointed out and I didn't blame her. Between my seclusion, nationality, and past, I was weird. "I don't know it's just a feeling whenever I'm around her... I feel like hot."

Sarah burst out laughing. "You feel hot?"

"You're right," Alice laughed. "It's crazy."

"She could be the Serpent," Sarah muttered not laughing. "Maybe that's why she's avoiding us."

I was not evil and it took all my willpower not to burst in and say something.

"No," Alice defended. "She's not evil. Just weird. Plus she wasn't even here when you had the dream so she can't be one of them."

I hadn't noticed Alice's voice getting closer until it was too late. Falling on the floor next to the open door I saw the aghast look on Alice and Sarah's faces. Crap.


	4. Chapter 4 House of Bullies

Just like to thank my reviewers and you if you like this story enough to still be reading. I'd love it if you'd drop a review with theories, critics, or just say hi because I try to answer all of them!

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Chapter 4

House of Bullies

I knew I was busted, and excuses flowed through my mind as i took the walk of shame onto my bed where an angry Sarah and Alice stood glaring.

"So?" Sarah asked. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Well it is my room too," I reminded her.

"How much did you hear Miss American Snoop?" Alice spit. Boy was I in trouble. No way in hell were they going to let me get involved with them not, not considering the fact that my suspicious behavior just confirmed their (false) suspicions.

"Just, just what you were saying about me," I lied easily. "I heard my name when I was coming up and wanted to know what you were saying. I guess it explains why everyone in this school hates me if you think I'm some kind of evil, snake, devil-thingy."

I could tell by her softening face that Sarah felt guilty for her exclusion of me. Alice, however, felt no guilt what-so-ever and spitefully spoke, "Well everyone is just going to hate you more when I tell them that you're a snoop! No one likes spies."

As Alice stormed out of the the room with Sarah trailing behind her, there was no doubt in my mind that she meant what I said. By dinner Lily, who normally was cordial if not friendly ignored me and the boys, who besides Anubis I'd never even spoken to, were downright mean.

"Can you pass the milk, Snoopy? I like it with chocolate best. But i bet you already knew that considering you're a spy," Greg announced causing everyone to roar with laughter. I pretended to not have heard as I passed the milk around, but my flaming cheeks gave away my secret.

"Do you want to know why her name is Luce?" Felix played along, "It's because it's short for Lucifer!"

As if the nickname Snoopy wasn't bad enough now I'd forever be known as Lucifer. Quickly excusing myself I left the table without eating a bite and headed to my room. I knew Sarah could come in any moment, and that was the only thing that held back the tears. I would not cry, I would not cry, I would not cry! I didn't cry when my dad barged into our house shooting me in the leg. Or when he shot my mom in both the head and the heart. I didn't even shed a tear as he turned the gun upwards and blew his own brains out. I would not cry because I lived in a house of bullies I would not.

More time flew by and it became clear to me that Sarah and Alice had decided the best way to find the other chosen people they were looking for was by recruiting everyone in the house. (Not me of course, I wasn't even aloud to eat with them if I wanted not to be harassed.)

Lily went first, then one by one the boys joined in on the mysterious conversations until one night I showed up for dinner to discover only Anubis sitting at the kitchen table.

"You too huh?" A asked sipping his soda slowly. "I thought I was the only one not let in on their little secret."

"I'm surprised you are in on it considering the fact that your sister is the one who started it," I told him coldly. I hadn't spoken to Anubis since the first night, but compared to the others he'd probably been harassing me the least. (Not that I didn't know for sure he was responsible for the spy photos of me hung up around the school.)

Apparently Anubis had thought one of the other kids started it and not his own blood. Still he said nothing. "Any clue what they're up to?"

"No," I half-lied. I knew they were looking for some scales or mosaic or something down in the basement, but besides that I knew nothing. "So why aren't you involved? Not invited?"

"Sarah doesn't like having me around, never has. And Alice and I dated last year so now she completely avoids me. Between the two of them i think my invite got lost in the mail."

I couldn't help but study the boy who I'd severely misjudged a few weeks ago. Was he a nice, caring guy? No, but, his hard exterior now seemed to be a weak veneer and I only could wonder what lay underneath the touch-guy shell.

"What about you?" he asked causing me to laugh for the first time in, well, months.

"What do you think? Everyone in this school hates me! You shouldn't even be talking to me in case they think you're committing treason and helping the spy." As soon as the words left my mouth I wished I could take them back. A knew that what I was speaking the truth and no amount of guilt or loneliness was worth being my friend. I found it sad that the best meal I'd had at this school was spent in silence._  
_

When Sarah finally showed up at our room later that night I noticed that in addition to her eye of Ra necklace she also wore an Egyptian amulet with a sparrow carved into it. From the wide beam in her eyes i guessed that the amulets protected from whatever made you go blind. Well good for them.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked as she noticed me stuffing my clothes back into my suitcase.

"Oh so you're being friendly now," I spit back as I zippered the case shut and crawled into bed. "Just a suggestion, be nicer to your next roommate."

"You're transferring houses?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Nope." I told her turning over. "I'm transferring schools and never, ever coming back to this malice-driven 'kingdom' of yours."

Sarah said nothing as I fell asleep and dreamed of returning home to a place that despite the bad memories, I was loved.


	5. Chapter 5 House of Revelations

Chapter 5

House of Revelations

I escaped the house before anyone else even made it from their rooms and headed across the misting rain to Mr. Rutter's office. I'd decided last night not to spend a single moment longer than necessary around these cruel children and I was done. He'd try to talk me out of leaving, principals always did, but he wasn't going to get anywhere. No way. I was gone.

I knocked on the door and came face to face with Mr. and Mrs. Rutter. Nina, being in-tune to others emotions, excused herself to let me talk. "What can I help you with Miss Ra at such an early hour?"

"I came to request a transfer," i told him firmly. "I've talked to my aunt." Lie. "And the travel arrangements can be made the moment all the papers are signed." Hopefully not a lie.

"Please, sit," he told me. "I'm not going to stop you from leaving, I have the paper right here for you to do so. What I want to know before you go is why you want to leave? I'm a good peace-maker you know and leaving to get away from somebody will only lead to regret."

"I'm not leaving because of somebody." That was true, I was leaving because of everybody. "I just want to go home. Coming here was a bad decision."

"You're top of your class. All the teachers love you. You say there is no one here driving you away. So why go?"

I bit my lip and replied firmly, "I just want to go home."

"Well then let me sign this," Mr. Rutter replied and I beamed with joy. Yes! I was free. "Oh no. It seems I left my special signing pen in the museum yesterday."

"Can't you just use on of those?" I asked pointing to the packages of pens he had on his desk. Still, with a sly smile on his face, Mr. Rutter shook his head.

"No, sorry, I must use that pen. It's a British legal thing you see." We both knew that was complete and utter BS, still he got what he wanted.

"Why don't I head over to the museum and get it. I've been wanting to go there and since I'm LEAVING what better time than now, hey."

"That's the spirit. Now do you know how to get there?" I nodded. "Good, good. Now Nina, my wife, is already over there. She'll know where it is just tell her what you're looking for."

Rolling my eyes I decided to play along with his game. It wouldn't make an ounce of difference in the end- I was going. I'd made up my mind and no way was I going back to that place full of lies and bullies.

It was poring at this point, and I found that poetic. It rained when i arrived and it was raining as I left. The walk to the museum could have been quicker, but I delayed, worried about what sort of lecture I'd get from Mrs. Rutter who'd been so kind on my second day.

"So you're leaving then," Mrs. Rutter stated when I told her what i was looking for. "I kind of guessed that. You had that done look on your face when I saw you."

"Coming here was a mistake for me," I told her honestly. "I much prefer the states."

"I understand where you're coming from," Nina told me, but I doubted it. "I started here late into the sophomore year, like you. Everyone hated me in the beginning because this girl, Patricia, thought I was involved in a friend's disappearance. Patricia is Alice's mom and I'd make a guess that they're a lot alike." You could say that again. Both hated people blindly and sent them packing. "I was ready to leave here too. But then I found my home in a boy. Fabian, Mr. Rutter, was something I had that you don't- that one kind person."

"The people are fine, honest." I lied and we both knew it.

"I'm sure they are. I'm sure they are. I'm telling you my story not yours." Nina had the pen in hand, but didn't give it to me before tapping on a large vent. "You here that? The hollowness. The shushing. That's my story."

Unsure what she meant I looked down the vent and saw a long tunnel. "Is this where the oven leads?"

"So you do not about that," Nina confirmed with a nod. "Thought you would. We established first day you were clever. Cleverer than I ever was. The oven leads into the basement, in the basement there is a room with the code 1890 to open it. The room was Robert Frobisher-Smyths study and behind it is a secret tunnel system filled with danger. The hole house is filled with danger especially for people like me."

"The chosen of the gods?" Nina knew a lot and it wasn't like I felt any loyalty in keeping the secret so why not talk?

Nina nodded sadly. "I used to be the chosen one, 25 years ago. There is a new one now, Nick. I never knew his mom at school, she can when I left. He's the new Chosen One."

"And Sarah's the Osirian," I added which, if she suspected it, Nina hadn't had confirmed. Until now of course. "What about the other ones. The Isisium, Horusion, and Chosen of Apophis? Do you know who they are."

Nina pursed her lips clearly worried," I never even heard of them. If Apophis has a servant here though... I shutter to think what will happen. Apophis is true evil, true chaos and must be stopped."

"How am I supposed to do that!" I asked indignantly. "I'm not even a part of this. They won't even let me be a part of this!"

Nina held up her hands. In one, a pen that would allow me to be on my way home by the end of the day. In the other hand however a silver key glistened. "This is the key to my museum," Nina confirmed. "And now you have an option. You can take this pen. You can run away from this insanity and leave. Or you can take this key, come back tonight after I'm gone and follow the tunnels. You can find the others, watch them, help them, and most of all protect them."

"What makes you think that I can help them! They hate me!" I reminded Nina. I would love to stay and get my share of mystery, but... how do you help people who think you're the enemy?

"Because I've seen your eyes behind the contacts, and I know who you are when you don't," Nina whispered. Shocked by her words I went to my eyes and removed the green colored contacts revealing the flaming shade of orange beneath.


	6. Chapter 6 House of Teams

I know it's short, but I kind of like the way this ended so I'm leaving it.

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Chapter 6

House of Teams

Nina Rutter disappeared before answering my questions about what she meant and without answers I headed back to Mr. Rutter's office. Silently handing him the pen I saw a smug smile on his face as I walked away. Whatever. So he got what he wanted. I did too. Grabbing my backpack from the house I went to first period only a few minutes late. Sarah had a guilty look in her eye, but cruel Alice looked happy that I wanted to leave.

_Tough luck kid you're stuck with me yet._ Knowing how happy everyone would have been if I left only strengthened my resolve to stay. Maybe I couldn't be part of their mission, but I could be part of my own. And I wouldn't be going at it alone.

Normally I eat lunch alone in the library, but today I went right back to Anubis house and sat down at the table next to Anubis. Everyone else gave me a disgusted look and left to go plot leaving me alone with A.

"I heard you were leaving. Is that true?" he asked. "'Cause if you're leaving because of Sarah I'm going to smack her."

"Nope, you have to deal with me a while longer." With a smile I lowered my voice. "You know how you were mad that they wouldn't let you in on their secret team to fight evil Egyptian gods?"

Anubis gave me a weird look before nodding. Apparently he didn't believe in the Egyptian he was named after but was interested enough to hear what I had to say.

"Well then why don't we start our own team," I whispered showing the silver key. "It gets us into your moms museum where she swears there is another tunnel to the catacombs where they hold their meetings. We could be called... Sibuna Clue. Your name backwards and mine rearranged."

A gave me a 'you kidding look' before speaking. "What the Hell. I'm not going to be the only one NOT involved in something. But one one condition."

Yes! I'd been truly afraid I'd have to done this alone (and that never works in the books) "Anything." As soon as I said it I wondered if maybe anything was the best word. (Especially because Anubis's eyes immediately dropped the pervert.) "But that."

"Fine," Anubis's laugh sounded like thundering angels and I liked it. "All I was going to say is drop the clue and let's just be Sibuna."

"Sibuna it is," I said covering my eye like making a secret pledge.

"You're weird," Anubis told me (Like I hadn't known that already). "But okay. Sibuna."

Maybe it was the oddness getting to my head, but I think I just made a friend in Anubis.


	7. Chapter 7 House of the Raven

Just want to say I'm enjoying writing this and hope you enjoy reading. I'd love to hear theories about who you think Apophis is (because Luce sure doesn't know) and who/what you think Luce is.

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Chapter 7

House of the Raven

Sarah snuck out of our room around midnight and, as planned, Anubis met me by the front door five minutes later. "If we get caught I'm going to kill you," Anubis hissed clearly meaning it. "Alex and I snuck out to go to a club once last year, best fun ever. When we got caught we had to clean all the bathrooms. With a toothbrush!"

I had to stifle my laughter as I pictured the boys scrubbing toilets with toothbrushes while singing "It's a Hard Knock Life." Following my instructions Anubis had dressed dark, but I worried that his lighter hair would be seen in the full moon light. I began to feel doubts about taking him, but it was too late. We'd formed Sibuna and now there would not be any going back.

"Cheer up," I whispered to him before sliding out the door and into the chilly December air. "If Andy goes and checks rooms there won't be a single person in bed. He can't make us all scrub bathrooms now can he?"

I heard Anubis scoff as we made our ways across the dewy lawn," Yes, yes he could."

"Well then it won't take too long with 8 of us working now will it?" Despite my brave words I too feared retribution. Not from the headmaster, Mr. Rutter knew what we were up to and had basically sanctioned it. No, Andy would be the worst. Since the first day I had yet to be alone with him, but every time our eyes met the familiar tingle of fear reemerged. Could he be the serpent Apophis? No. He'd been hired as soon as the old caretaker, Victor, left. No one could hide being evil that long and he would have grabbed whatever he wanted long ago if he was the chosen of Apophis.

It was one of us, one of the kids, and I knew for sure it wasn't me.

Or was it? Nina's words echoed in my head. She might no longer be the Chosen One, but she knew about my odd eyes that I'd hidden out of fear. Nina said she knew who I was, but I didn't. Of course I knew who I was! I was Lucetta Ra a perfectly normal human being.

But what if I wasn't? What if I was Apophis's chosen one and everything I did was exactly what he wanted? Was I being manipulated by the serpent? It would explain why everyone felt weary around me, why they hated me. Four of them were chosen by the gods who hated Apophis-maybe their hate was justified. Maybe I was evil?

Can you be evil and not know?

"Earth to Lucy. We're here." Anubis's soft voice shattered my thoughts and I found myself standing outside the ivy covered museum.

"My name is not Lucy. It's Luce," I told him a bit louder than I meant to.

"What was that?" I didn't recognize the slimy voice who spoke first, but when his companion spoke I knew we were in trouble.

"It's probably children out of bed," Andy growled. "You know how they are, Victor."

Victor? As in the old caretaker? "But my parents said he was ancient as their caretaker 25 years ago! How is he even still alive?" Anubis pointed out.

I didn't know, but from the sound of approaching footsteps I knew we needed to get away fast. Fumbling with the key, I quickly opened the door and slid inside before looking around for the secret tunnel. Spotting it quickly I opened up the vent and crawled in. Anubis clearly wanted to protest, but he knew how much trouble we'd be in if caught and followed my lead. Hidden (unless they knew about the tunnels) we stopped moving and crouched, silent, to hear what they were saying.

"And you're sure that it still exists? I thought it got melted," Victor questioned.

"Yes," Andy agreed. "I have it in my office now, hidden of course. If you supply the touchstone and I the cup..."

"We have all we need," Victor confirmed.

"I've checked all around. There is no one here. Unless they're escaped into the tunnels..." Andy replied and fear gripped me. If they found us in here listening in... we would be in more than just trouble. We'd probably be dead because I'd bet all my money Victor was the Chosen of Apophis and that's how he's still alive. Boy this was not good.

"No," Victor told Andy causing me to breath a sigh of relief. "With Miss Martin back here any miscreants investigating would have her necklace. They wouldn't need to know of the library passage." Library? I thought this was a museum. Anubis must have saw the confusion on my face for he mouthed back that it had once been a library converted to a museum.

"That is true. They've definitely been going into the tunnels using the basement," Andy told his friend/partner. "The Rutter girl has the necklace and now she's gotten the whole house involved! Minus her of course." Her? He couldn't possibly mean me, could he? What was so special about me that Victor knew who he meant by jut the pronoun her?

"You should crack down on them. I think the threat of scrubbing bathrooms always kept them in line," Victor answered proudly.

"Like you ever kept them in line!" Andy snapped back furious to be criticized by his predecessor.

Through the grates in the vent I could just make out greasy haired middle aged Victor making his way over to Andy, "You're lucky. At least you weren't trying to keep a Chosen One and her Osirian in line! I was practically fighting the gods!"

Andy scoffed but the receding footsteps brought me peace. When I heard the door slam shut and saw both Victor and Andy gone I pressed ahead into the catacombs of Anubis house.


	8. Chapter 8 House of Catacombs

Thanks for reading this far! I'm having fun. Comment any theories please, and I might just answer if you're right. Probably not... but maybe. ((wait, now I sound like that add.)) Also, I apologize if i make any mistakes as I describe the tunnels... it's been a while

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Chapter 8

House of Catacombs

"What is this place?" Anubis asked as we crawled down the tunnel from the library.

"This is a tunnel," I told him sarcastically because honestly I didn't know how else to answer him. It wasn't like I'd ever been down here before!

"Aww shit!" Anubis yelled back. What happened? Were the others up ahead? "It's a dead end," an annoyed A told me. "My mom must have been pulling our legs."

I didn't know her at all, never mind as well as her son would, but I couldn't help but feel that Nina had been serious. She seemed to be seriously worried about Sarah and the others and I couldn't blame her. I didn't know what was going on in this insane house, but I knew danger lurked in these tunnels.

"Look around. Maybe there is some sort of button that opens it," I suggested. If not then I didn't know what we would do. There had to be a way into the main tunnels; I knew Nina wasn't lying!

"There's nothing... oh, wait, I found something!" Anubis yelled back. Yes! Yes! Yes! I knew there was a way in, I knew it. Moving forwards after Anubis I found myself surprised that there was more light in the main tunnels than the library one. Actually... someone had placed lamps along the tunnels. "You think this is my sister's work?"

"Probably," I told him as I looked around the room we'd entered.

I hated it whenever I went under tunnels because I was always afraid they'd collapse. Even down here I felt the familiar twinge of worry. What if these tunnels did collapse? They had to be hundreds of years old and around when the whole earthquake happened. Was there any real guarantee that these tunnels wouldn't break and I'd end up with Anubis house on my head? I almost considered turning back, but Sibuna had come this far. We had to keep going.

As I looked around the room I could suddenly imagine six teenagers, one of them who had to be a younger Nina, standing in an arrangement holding reflectors. one of the kids who was the spitting image of Alice, spoke to another who was blindfolded. The words 'literal blind date' popped into my head and I had no idea why.

"And then you can have my children before we ride off into the sunset," Anubis told me clearly thinking that I wasn't listening. (Well I wasn't before, but I was now.)

"Shut up," I told him before pushing ahead in the tunnels in a failed attempt to forget my unnerving vision.

"Just for my own sake, does that happen a lot? You zoning out and then acting like you saw a ghost?"

Sliding to a stop at Anubis's spot-on words I turned and spoke. "Your mom implied that they used to come down here when she was at school here. Did she ever tell you any stories of her adventures in high school?"

"Nothing of any impor..." Anubis began before tilting his head. "Wait a minute. There was this one story. It scared the heck out of Sarah, I didn't mind it." (Yeah he did.) "She said there once was a girl who found herself threatened by an evil ghost of an Egyptian queen, Senkarah. To appease to ghost she had to perform a series of tasks. One was assemble a key, another cross a bridge with swinging swords, another required her to cross a spider-web, there were a few more I think, but I can't remember them to be honest."

"Was there one where she had to bounce light off reflectors?" I asked quietly desperately hoping he'd say no.

I wasn't that lucky. "Yeah I think there was something about mirrors in there! Why, did your parents tell the same story?"

I considered lying to him, but Anubis was all I had in a house where everyone else hated me. (Possibly because I was an evil Egyptian god's puppet... I hadn't quite determined if I was evil or not yet.) "My parents never told me any stories. Back then, when you were talking and I wasn't hearing you, I saw them. I saw your mom and her friends, the other ones who lived in this house, holding up reflectors in the shape of a falcon."

"Sorry," Anubis told me backing away slowly, "But are you saying that really happened and you just had... a vision of it? You can't expect me to believe that's possible."

"Anubis," I said placing my hand on his shoulder, "We're doing this because your sister and the other are in danger from an evil Egyptian serpent god who, according to mythology, eats the sun every night. I think anything is possible at this point."

Anubis nodded in agreement as we headed further down the tunnels. When we reached a room with a game board of sorts I stopped, and Anubis spoke again. "Just so we're clear, you're not doing this because of Sarah and the others. You're not even doing this because of my mom. You're doing this because you want to be part of something amazing and looking around down here... that you are. Whatever is really going on, because to tell you the truth I don't believe in any gods, it is absolutely amazing, and I'm glad you let me come."

Anubis was right; this isn't for Sarah or Nina or anyone but me. Sarah and her gang could get themselves killed by Apophis and they might just deserve it the way they've treated me. Still, I wasn't just doing it for me- the whole universe would explode if Apophis got his way. I knew that from my mythology books. Who would have thought Luce Ra defender of the Universe against evil Egyptian gods with her partner Anubis, named after a (maybe evil) Egyptian god.

"We should head back," I told Anubis. "I have no clue where we're supposed to go from here, this looks like the end of the tunnels. Anyway I want to go back without the library and I don't know how long it will take."

"Good. Let's stay inside where it's at least a bit warmer. It's freezing outside!" Anubis answered looking tired as he turned around.

I laughed at his shivering. "You'd hate New England then. It's way colder."

"Doubt it," he answered.

"It is."

"Nope."

"Oh I'm so not doing this," I told him with a laugh that echoed through the tunnels.

"You know what this place reminds me of?" Anubis asked right as we reached the end. "The catacombs of Paris."

"Didn't they bury bodies down there or something?" I asked feeling a chill as we stepped into the forbidden basement.

"Yeah, they did didn't they. Still has the same feeling though," Anubis told me before heading upstairs and back through the oven (apparently you only needed the key one way).

Looking back towards the secret passages I shook for a moment knowing instinctively that there was a lot worse things than corpses down there.


	9. Chapter 9 House of Confrontations

Can someone please explain to me how I can have 7 visits to chapter 2 and 8 to chapter 3? i mean do people honestly read one chapter but not the one before it? I'm so confuzzled! Don't forget to review if you think you're had a genius theory. Everyone who gets it (and by it I mean anything) right gets pie. (And not fictional pie. I'll track you down to give you real pie. Wait that's creepy... maybe just fictional pie then.) And this children is what happens when you spend a snow day writing a fan fic and will spend tomorrow's snow day doing the same!

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Chapter 9

House of Confrontations

Sarah was sitting on her bed waiting for me when I arrived the confrontation was imminent, but I kept myself cool and collected. She could say anything she wanted and I would be fine. I'd keep my cool and not punch her in the face. After everything her mom has done for me she deserved to be treated well.

"I came back and saw you were gone but your stuff was still here," Sarah began accusation thick in her voice. "I thought you were leaving?"

"Nope," I told her climbing into bed. "Your mom talked me out of it."

"So where were you? I noticed the bathroom was empty and your bed is cold."

I gave Sarah an *are you kidding me* look before replying nonchalantly as I sat up, "Did you think to check it or Alice?"

Sliding out from the shadowy corner where she'd been standing Alice replied coldly, "It was my idea. But you still haven't answered the question Snoopy, where were you?"

"Who's snooping in whose business now?" I reminded Alice. Sarah knew it was true and looked guilty, but Alice remained cold. Why on earth did Sarah not stop Alice if she felt so bad? Sarah was the one with the power of Osiris or whatever. "And I was the same place as you. The tunnels."

"How do you even know about the tunnels snake-breath?" Alice asked pressing her face against mine.

Turning away I muttered under my breath, "You're one to talk." Alice, luckily, didn't hear and I continued. "They're not your tunnels, and Sarah's mom told me about them."

"Your mom knows about the tunnels?" Alice asked surprised spinning to face a shrugging Sarah.

"Your mom does too. All of your parents, the ones who went here at least, minus Greg's dad, know about them." I told Sarah and Alice who clearly thought they were the first to discover the catacombs of Anubis house. "Did you honestly think the tunnels stayed that dust free in 125 years? They're dusty, but not THAT dusty."

"But they were closed, all the traps back on. Well not all of them, but the ones that turned on and off were," Sarah told me. Considering the fact that they thought I was the chosen of Apophis they sure weren't keeping very tight lips.

"Must have reset them upon graduation I don't know," I told the girls with a shrug. "There were no Chosen Ones or Osirians around to use so the Egypt stuff stayed away and no one even knew the tunnels existed. Then you get your dream from Osiris..."

"I told you she heard more than she said," Alice interrupted, but I continued like I hadn't noticed.

"... and head down there to reopen them. What I want to know, is where you think these scales and mosaic are? They're not in the tunnels, I went to the end. So where do you think they are?"

"Ha!" Alice exclaimed. "You think we're thick enough to tell you where they are so you can just go and steal them for your boss."

"I'm not working for Apophis!" I yelled at them and knew for the first time that it was true. I wasn't working for Apophis, that's the kind of thing you tend to know. "But someone in this house is. If it's not me, which I swear it isn't, and it's definitely not Anubis because he had no want to be in those tunnels, then it's one of your little gang."

"Don't listen to her Sarah," Alice blurted out. "You know it's just lies. No one in C.O.E. could be influenced by Apophis without someone noticing. We've known each other our entire lives! Who's the odd ball here, Luce, she's it and we both know it." C.O.E. Children of Egypt-original.

"Believe whatever you want," I told them turning on my side. I'd tried to warn them, but it was futile. Alice seemed to take my lack of fight as a confession, but her adamant need for me to take the blame as Apophis's chosen one seemed a bit fishy. Sure, maybe she wanted to protect her friends, but maybe she wanted to protect herself.

It would make sense for Alice to be working with Apophis. She was in it from the beginning. She knew all the other chosen. Her prickly nature bordered on chaotic (Apophis is god of chaos.) No one, Sarah especially, would suspect Alice's motives until it was too late.

But that wasn't true because I was involved now. Alice could hide but she had nowhere to run. If she was working for Apophis I would find out and I would protect the Universe from destruction no matter what.

Alice continued to yell and before Sarah had time to shush her Andy kicked open our door and let out a bellowing roar, "What do you three delinquents think you're doing up? It is three hours past lights out! Sleep now. Office first thing in the morning. If I hear one more peep from this room... you'll regret it for the rest of your lives. Now to your room Miss Miller!"

Alice shuffled away and I again wondered if maybe it was Andy after all. It seemed that, despite my theories, I wouldn't know who to stop until it was too late.


	10. Chapter 10 House of Allegiences

Thanks to my two lovely and consistent reviewers HBHS12 and Violinrocker12 (what's with the 12's).

Also all credit for the ship name Anuce goes to HBHS12. I love it!

Anyone in the mood for a love triangle? I can sense one around the corner.

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Chapter 10

House of Allegiances

I woke up to the alarm as normal and dressed in silence. Sarah, clearly more nervous than I about the thing with Andy, stood awkwardly at the door waiting for me. (So I could be evil, but it was still better for us to go together than her have to go alone?) Before heading in Sarah placed her hand on my shoulder spinning me around. "I don't believe you're evil," she told me in a none-to-kind way. "If anyone is working with Apophis it's Andy." What. A. Compliment. Basically Sarah was saying I wasn't out to destroy the Universe. That totally made up for all the things she's told people about me. Not!

"Thanks," I told her unsure whether or not she was trying to compliment/ apologize.

"That doesn't mean I trust you though," Sarah finished holding up a hand. "Whenever I see you I feel like I should run to France. It, you're just not right. Sorry if that sounds horrible, but it's true. Every bone in my body says you're dangerous and the best thing you could have done for this school would have been to leave."

With her harsh words uttered Sarah led the way into Andy's office where Alice stood with her skin-deep confidence flaring.

"Does anyone care to tell me what happened last night?" Andy asked passing back and forth beating his hands with a ruler like a Drill Sargent. He didn't actually plan on hitting us, right? That couldn't be legal... or maybe it was. I haven't been in this country long enough to know.

"I don't know, sir," I lied easily considering the other two girls were completely tongue tied. "I went to bed as normal and then around one Alice comes in and starts yelling at me!"

Alice looked ready to say I was lying, but she too had no better explanation. She was the one out of her room and she was the one caught yelling. Sarah certainly wasn't going to fight my claim either as it took her out from under the bus.

"Well Miss Miller, "Andy asked expectantly, "Care to explain why you were yelling?"

Alice opened and closed her mouth looking for a response. We might not agree on much but we agreed that telling Andy about the tunnels and the Egypt stuff... not a good idea.

"That's probably my fault," Anubis told him sliding into the office. "You see Alice and I used to date, and she just discovered that Lucy here is my new girlfriend. I bet she was wild with jealousy and sleepwalking, you know how she does that. Ally probably couldn't even control her actions, being asleep and all."

"It's true," Alice told him with a nod. "I was furious and I had a dream about yelling at Luce. I had no idea it was actually happening. Luce, I'm so sorry for anything I said I didn't mean it."

Glaring at her I smiled and replied, "It's no problem. I understand completely."

Andy didn't seem very sure that our story was the truth, but with no other stories presenting themselves he nodded. "Fine. Since you were unable to control yourself you will be punished Miss Miller only by having to help Trudy, who really is getting old, with the chores. The rest of you are free of all punishment. Now leave!"

Scurrying out of his hearing range I burst out laughing. "Now THAT was a good one. Considering that we, who are practically opposites, could ever be a couple... I didn't realize what a riot you were."

For a split second I thought I saw a wounded look on Anubis's face, but it disappeared so quickly I probably imagined it. "Yeah. You know how spur of the moment lies go. They always turn out to be the most ridiculous thing possible."

"I hope you're happy, snake," Alice huffed. "I could have gotten grounded with you throwing me under the bus like that! Not that I'd expect more from the likes of you."

Now Alice turned to Anubis, who she literally slapped, "And if you're too blind to see that Luce is going to get us all killed, you especially, then you deserve to be stuck with her!"

As Alice stormed away Sarah cast her brother an apologetic glance before scuttering off after her friend.

"Ignore her," Anubis told me even though her words clearly stung him more than me. "She's always been one to put others down to make herself feel better. I don't think you'll get us all killed... a few, maybe, but not everyone."

Wow. The Rutter twins are just fantastic at giving compliments.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen I knew something had gone down last night at the COE meeting because Nick had taken my rightful place as the one no one would talk to. Actually, from the looks of it, he was the one who would talk to no one. When Nick saw Anubis and I however he came right over hand out. "We never really got formally introduced and for that I apologize. I'm Nick Mort and I'm very sorry for the way you've been treated around here."

If any of the COE were to come over to my side it would have been Nick considering that he had never participated in the Luce bashing. He didn't stop them, but being a bystander is better than being the perpetrator in my book.

"Welcome to the dark side Chosen One," I whispered ominously. "We have cookies don't worry about it."

As soon as I saw Nick's look I wished I hadn't mentioned the Chosen One thing... oops. I'd assumed he knew as Sarah knew she was the Osirian. "I... I guessed," Nick admitted reading my face. "But no, it was never confirmed. How do you even know that?"

"The last Chosen One, Mrs. Rutter, she told me. Nina's the reason I even a doing this."

"By this do you mean trying to find the scales without Alice and Sarah in charge?"

Smiling at all the things our new recruit could tell us I nodded. "Yes. Why don't you walk over to school with us and you can tell us exactly what we're up against in the COE. By the way, welcome, to Sibuna."


	11. Chapter 11 House of Love

Chapter 12

House of Love

"Attention students!" Felix's voice rang out through the intercoms. "We have hijacked the school for a day and will be celebrating national love day!"

"You do realize there is no such thing," Greg muttered in the background. Ah. So that's who the we was. In my time here their mischief has generally just been making fun of me, but it seemed they'd escalated to hijacking the school. Did they honestly think they weren't going to get in trouble.

"And for those of you thinking we're going to get in trouble we actually got permission in high places to do this!" Felix continued and I imagined those high-places were Nina. Mr. Rutter would never go against his wife and punish them... he probably enjoyed the good fun too. Hopefully it would end up just being good fun. After some of the questionable fish-tales I've heard about Felix and Greg's antics I could imagine them going a bit to far.

"Everyone is to report to their first class where they will be given more instructions," Greg finished before the speaker went off. In my first class I found Lily standing forms in hand.

"All right everybody. For national love day we're going to pair you up with the perfect partner! This quiz, designed by me so you know it's good, will help us find the love of your life from right here in this school. Answer honestly, because who doesn't want to find true love!"

My suspicions that maybe the COE had another reason for this day were confirmed the second I saw the quiz. To most it would look normal, but I knew what they were really doing. They thought that maybe the other chosen weren't in Anubis house and were using this quiz to try and root them out. _Good luck with that._

**1.) Name: **Lucetta (Luce) Ra

**2.) Age: **15, almost 16 (birthday December 22)

**3.) How would you describe yourself physically? **Lean, brunette, green eyes, short

**4.) What physical attributes do you look for in a date? **I find myself very attracted to snake eyes

**5.) Describe your personality in three words. **evil, evil,and oh yeah evil

**6.) Any interests? **Destroying the world by eating the sun.

** 7.) Do you believe in psychic predictions? **You mean like seeing visions of me eating you? Sure.

**8.) Do you believe in love at first sight? **No, I don't believe in love, just evil

**9.) Describe your perfect date. **Sitting on a beach watching as the world ends around us.

**10.) Any other fun facts about you. **My best friend is an evil serpent named Apophis and he speaks to me in my dreams.

On the bottom, for special effect, I drew a picture of me as a snake eating the sun (that's how the world ends. Apophis eats Ra a.k.a the sun) before turning it in.

As soon as Lily got to my form it was obvious as she scowled at me. "Careful," I told her with a laugh, "Or your face will get stuck like that."

She believed me. I didn't believe in dumb blondes but looking at Lily... why on earth did the COE even think she could be helpful?

"Now,"Lily said a while after all the forms were in. "I'll pass back your match. There are more guys than girls so some of you will get two cards, spend the day with both guys, and then be lucky enough to chose!"

Lily slammed two forms down on my desk- apparently I was one of the lucky few. Flipping them over I felt a smile grow on my face.

**1.) Name: **Anubis (A) Rutter

**2.) Age: **15, almost 16 (birthday December 21)

**3.) How would you describe yourself physically? **Hot blonde skater dude

**4.) What physical attributes do you look for in a date? **I find myself very attracted to women who are evil.

**5.) Describe your personality in three words. **Cunning, sadistic, schemer

**6.) Any interests? **Ancient Egyptian cults. you've got to love a good cult.

**7.) Do you believe in psychic predictions? **Sure! My crush has dreams of eating puppies every night and then does it during the day.

**8.) Do you believe in love at first sight? **Oh yeah. There is this one girl, evil you know, it was definitely love at first sight.

**9.) Describe your perfect date. **Watching my girl sacrifice annoying housemates and kill everyone.

**10.) Any other fun facts about you? **Killing makes a girl look sexy.

The other one, while different, brought a smile to my face just as well.

**1.) Name: **Nick Mort

**2.) Age: **15, almost 16 (birthday December 21)

**3.) How would you describe yourself physically? **Dark skinned, dark colored, normal, skinny

**4.) What physical attributes do you look for in a date? **Not being a manipulating witch

**5.) Describe your personality in three words. **smart, chosen, gone

**6.) Any interests? **Working with people who aren't trying to use me for their own selfish gains... and may or may not be the evil we';re trying to fight

**7.) Do you believe in psychic predictions? **Of course, I'm the chosen one, I have all kinds of visions like those of people being killed

**8.) Do you believe in love at first sight? **No, but I believe Alice is working for Apophis

**9.) Describe your perfect date. **Watching the COE crash and burn when Alice turns on you.

**10.) Any other fun facts about you **I'm the chosen one as your leader's mom knew and told my new leader and not her daughter. Coincidence? I think not.

"We're all horrible people," I told the other Sibuna members bending over in laughter.

"Well I knew you were," A told me with a smile, "Considering the fact your card here says you're evil."

"You know they will only hate you more because of this," Nick noted. "I mean it's hilarious, and I gave them the middle finger too, but this will only put more venom in their bite.

"Let them bite," I told the boys with a shrug. Then I asked quieter of Nick, "Do you really think Alice is working for Apophis?"

"No," Nick admitted, "But I think she's cruel enough to be. Personally I only get the true evil and chaos vibe from Andy. You... you're weird, I get that weird vibe from you, but no I don't think you want to destroy the world. I only said all that for Lily."

"What do you mean? Why does Lily need to not trust Alice?" Anubis asked.

"Remember what I told you on the way to school?" Nick asked and I nodded. How could I forget. Nick had explained that if you jumped on spots in the Senet board in the right order it opened up to another tunnel system, this one shaped in a circle. At the end of each bend there was a wall and a task that needed to be completed... so far the COE had yet to complete one. "I had this dream two nights ago and when I told them the others said it was just a dream and to forget about it. I know it wasn't just a dream though! To get past the first task you need a sacrifice and in my dream..."

"In your dream Alice sacrificed Lily? I mean Alice is mean but..." I couldn't even finish it.

Anubis however could. "No. Alice isn't a murderer. I can't see her sacrificing Lily."

"You have to believe me," Nick pleaded. "I saw Alice push Lily down saying it was for the good of the world and that Lily, being the dumbest, was not one of the Chosen and therefore the best sacrifice!"

"Could she do it?" I asked Anubis. They'd dated once and he had to know her best.

"I... I don't know," Anubis answered looking guilty. "She does have a weird complex about the greater good... if it meant Lily or the world. I honestly don't know how far Alice would go."

"But Lily is in danger," I didn't necessarily like the bubbly blonde, but she didn't deserve to die. "Grave, grave danger."

All Nick could do was nod.


	12. Chapter 12 House of Adivce

Thanks again to my lovely reviews. All credit for the ship name Nice (Nick and Luce) goes to Violinrocker12. Now I have a confession to make... I haven't decided who she ends up with. I thought I had, because she was related to one the first time I wrote this, but now that they're not related... I'm not exactly sure what to do yet. Review with your OTP, and, if I feel it works, the ship with the most people requesting will become fan-fic canon!

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Chapter 12

House of Advice

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(A/N I know the name is stupid, but so much yet so little happens in this chapter I had no better name)

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"So, if we can't get Lily to believe she's in danger, we basically need to do everything possible to make sure Lily just doesn't go down there again." For lunch we were supposed to go on a romantic date with our match. I had no objections to that; after all, what's more romantic than catacomb like tunnels?

"Alice would never do it with the others around," Nick told me. "We were all fighting last night, but the one thing we agreed on was that no one would be sacrificed."

"I just can't believe Ally would do something like that. She's mean, that's why we broke up but, murder? That's a big step from bullying." As he spoke I noticed Anubis fiddling with his dog-head key chain and could only assume Alice had given it to him back when they were together.

"You said so yourself, she has a serious hero-complex," Nick pointed out. "I hate to believe it too, but we have to make sure Lily is safe."

By this point we'd arrived at the museum and from the looks of it only Nina was inside due to it being her lunch break. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean I know Aunt Nina's cool and all but... won't she try and stop us."

"No," I told Nick hoping I was right. To be honest I barely knew Nina. "I'm sure she'll be fine with it."

Anubis scoffed at the thought of his mom being cool with any of this, but headed inside.

From the way she sat by the door eating a peanut butter and fluff sandwich, Nina had been expecting us. "Just a tip about going down there during lunch hours... don't. I always thought 'we have plenty of time' and I don't think we once weren't late for class."

"You going to try and stop us?" Anubis asked him mom who, even though it looked weird at her age, just rolled her eyes.

"Stop you? Stop who? I don't see anything honey. Just saying. You start missing classes your father will punish you if just to prove there is no favoritism going on." From the disgusted look on Anubis's face he hated having a dad as the headmaster. I couldn't exactly sympathize considering the fact that my dad was a murdered, not a teacher.

"Come on," Anubis told Nick clearly reading his mom's let-me-talk-with-Luce face. "The tunnel is a pain in the butt but considering Sarah has the only other key we have to go down this way."

Nick looked back on Nina, a women he saw as an aunt, and couldn't help but ask a question that had been nagging at him. "How long did you know? About me replacing you as the Chosen One?"

Nina's face released a soft smile, "You were literally born on the same day as the twins in the room next to mine. When you were born I instantly knew I was no longer the Chosen One... it was like a burden being lifted from my shoulders. I then saw you and you just had this light in your eye. I just knew. Your mom knows too, I told her, but I don't think your father knows any of the Egypt stuff. KT thought it would freak him out too much and I guess if you didn't live it you only see the danger and not the beautiful fun that came with it."

Nick nodded and went to leave us alone. Just before he disappeared down the tunnel he asked another question, "Did you have visions?"

"That's more of an Osirian thing, but yes, I had a few," Nina squinted her eyes in worry. Obviously none of her visions were good. "Just remember, your visions come true, but it's up to you how you interpret what you saw."

Nick didn't say anything before disappearing behind Anubis into the tunnel system. Nina turned to me and spoke. "Should I be worried about what he saw?"

"We're handling it," I told her evasively. "What did you want to say to me?"

"You're lucky you have Nick on your side. As his Osirian it's in Sarah's blood to do whatever possible to protect him." Nina's original statement obviously wasn't what she wanted to say but a precursor for her to build up courage. "Luce. I understand you not wanting to put this in the hands of adults and trust me you can't. This will stay with you and chosen. But you're lucky to have something I didn't- people who can help. The only help I ever had was the original Sarah, the Chosen One before me... and by the time I knew her Sarah's mind was mostly gone. I was working against the school faculty, you're lucky enough to be working with Mr. Rutter and me. We can't give you special treatment, nothing that anyone else knows, but I'm betting on you to get everyone out of this alive. If you ever need help, or advice, or just to talk I'm here. But, until you need me, I'll stay far away from the plans of the gods."

"You keep saying that I'm special, that I can do this. What do you mean? Am I one of the Chosen? Is this my destiny? You say you want to help, but you won't answer my questions!" What was going on? Who was I and why did Nina seem to think this all bubbled down to me?

Nina gave me a maternal, but regretful look. "I'll tell you anything I know, but I can't tell you that. You'll find out eventually and when you do I can guarantee all you will want is to go back to ignorance."

I so desperately wanted answers, but wasn't foolish enough to think I would get them from Nina. Nina seemed to think that whatever the truth was it would hurt me, it would change me, in irrevocable ways. What knowledge could be that great?

"One last question then. I had a vision of 6 teenagers holding up reflectors down in the tunnel to create a bird. Did that actually happen?"

Nina smiled, clearly the memory was a fond one, "Yes. And I'm not surprised that's something you'd remember. After all, you were there."

Nina packed her bag and walked away without explaining anymore. As I crawled behind the rest of the Sibuna members I could only wonder how on earth I'd been someplace ten years before I was even born.


	13. Chapter 13 House of Riddles

I'm back! Hopefully I can finish this before I start school again Monday because then my updates will be really sporadic with finals coming up. Don't forget to review with which ship you want- Nice (Luce and Nick) or Anuce (Anubis and Luce)

Disclaimer: I own neither House of Anubis or Doctor Who (catch the reference). I'm trying to change that, but at the moment no one is answering my calls.

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Chapter 13

House of Riddles

I didn't mention Nina's words as I met up with the others in the room of my vision. They trusted me as the (mostly) normal girl with no real stakes in this. If it came out that apparently everything rested on my shoulder I might lose both their trust and their needed companionship. As little as I wanted to admit it, the past two days of laughing with Anubis and now Nick were the best days since my parents deaths. And, as I followed Nick to the Senet board I noticed something else remarkable. I was no longer limping.

Pushing all thoughts out of my mind I looked at the game board. Supposedly, no one knew how to play Senet, but the game was inactive and the case behind it open which could only mean that Nina's gang had successfully beaten the game. Thank god it hadn't been reset like Sarah said the other traps had or we'd all be in big trouble. I couldn't play chess never mind a game that no one alive should know.

"We have to go one at a time," Nick told us facing the board. "I'll go first and then you do exactly what I did, got it?"

"Why can't we just walk through the corridor after you open it?" Anubis asked doubtfully. Clearly he didn't feel in the hopscotch mood.

Nick only grimaced and replied, "It doesn't work like that." Taking a step forward I watched as Nick jumped from space to space in an 'r' pattern. Before hopping on the last space Nick gave them another warning, "Oh, and before you hit the last space be ready."

"Be ready for what?" I asked nervously. What happened when you hit the last space?

"This!" Nick yelled as he was sucked in by the darkness of the hole that had appeared beneath his feet.

"Nick!" I cried. No! He couldn't just be... gone.

To my relief I quickly heard chuckling and Nick yelling back, "Don't have a heart attack. I'm fine. The drop is only a few feet."

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" I bellowed back as I made a mental note to slap which when I got there.

"Well I don't know about you but I've always wanted to fall through a trap door," Anubis told me with a wild grin. Quickly following the pattern Anubis smiled and yelled, "GERONIMO!"

This time I heard the thud of him hitting the next set of tunnels and followed behind without haste. Yet, something was different with me. When Anubis and Nick had gone the stones made no reaction to touch, but with each place I landed the stones lit up like the sun. Nervous as to why it was different for me I continued the pattern and didn't hesitate before jumping on the last spot.

But nothing happened. I landed on the stone with a thud, but no trapdoor opened. I turned to see if I'd made a mistake, but the blazing light illuminated the exact path Nick had shown me. "What's wrong?" Nick called up fro beneath the floor. "Why did you stop?"

"I don't know!" I cried back. "I did the pattern like you showed me but it didn't work!"

The boys stayed silent for a moment until Anubis suggested I go back the way I came and tried again. The moment I stepped off the final stone blazing words appeared on the wall where another Anubis mystery had once lie.

**I'm Robert Frobisher-Smythe and you shouldn't be here**

**but if you are then danger is near**

**Beneath this game lies the Scales of Truth**

**that hold the secret to eternal youth**

**But be careful for you have been warned**

**Any heart heavier than a feather will be mourned**

**And beware the obelisk for if it is found**

**A new king must surely be crowned**

The words disappeared as I read them and I felt dread rising up inside me. I'd heard them mention scales before, but it never really clicked in my mind. Anubis weighed each soul (heart) against a feather when someone died. If the soul and feather were equal you were good. If the soul weighed more than the feather Ammut the devourer ate you... The story always freaked me out as a kid because last I'd checked every heart weighed more than a feather, even the feather of truth. There must be a lot of devouring going on.

What concerned me even more was the reference to the obelisk and king. I didn't know of any special kind-crowning Obelisk myths, but they supposedly were a ray of sun immortalized. The Egyptians thought of the sun as powerful, so I could only imagine obelisks harvesting a similar power. And if we had to beware the king... well then he couldn't possibly be a good guy.

When the words were all gone the passage reopened and I jumped down with the others. Anubis and Nick, who'd clearly been worried when I couldn't get through, breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened? It always let us through," Nick questioned. Despite the danger he'd seen Nick had an innocent quality to him I just couldn't destroy with the truth. Someday I'd have to tell the rest of Sibuna, but for now... now it was better that they didn't know of the flames or the riddle. It was certainly better for Anubis not to know we were searching for the test his namesake performed.

_Nick is the Chosen of Anubis. _That little nagging voice reminded me. _In a way those scales are his. He could measure your heart and it weighs more than a feather. You'd be devoured. _

"What's wrong?" Anubis asked clearly seeing the pallor in my face.

"Nothing," I lied feigning a smile. "I just did the pattern wrong that's all. It worked the second time. Let's go, I want to see what this first task is."

Nick and Anubis shared a concerned look that I pretended not to notice. It seemed all three of us know I was lying; yet, no one pushed me for answers. We all knew that whatever was going on with me would be revealed in turn and that for now all we could do was wait.


	14. Chapter 14 House of Sacrafice

Nice or Anuce? Review with what you'd like to see. So far only two people are weighing in. If you want what you want vote!

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Chapter 14

House of Sacrifice

Stepping around the bend and into the room of the first task I saw the problem. A deep ravine cut an almost block wide hole in the cavern. No way could someone jump it, and there was nothing that could be used to cross. Looking at it I knew there had to be a solution, but neither the COE or I could figure out what it was.

"Hey, look at this," Anubis pointed out and I turned to face him. Along the wall a series of inscriptions had been written, probably instructions to cross. "Well this is just great. I don't know about you guys but I don't speak Ancient Egyptian!"

"So that's what Sarah's been working relentlessly on," I told the others running my finger down the hieroglyphic inscriptions. "She's trying to translate it."

"Any clue what it says?" Nick asked turning to Anubis.

"Why you looking at me? You're the 'Chosen One' shouldn't you know?" Anubis replied annoyed. I couldn't help but smile at the two headbutting boys. If only they knew what was really going on they wouldn't be so happy and carefree. That was the reason they couldn't know; it would change them and take away this boyish laughter.

"It says 'Only those willing to sacrifice will reach the Scales,'" Alice's voice echoed through the tunnels as if answering us, but instead it was Lily Alice spoke to.

"Hide!" I whispered before jumping behind one of the growing stalagmites. Anubis and Nick, obviously not getting the message to hide somewhere else, both squeezed in on either side of me. The stone was large, but if Alice looked she'd see us hiding easily.

"Where are the others?" Ditsy Lily asked clearly starting to worry. "I thought you said we were meeting them down here."

"Do you know what that means?" Alice continued as if Lily hadn't spoken.

"Ally stop. You're really starting to scare me. And what's with the contacts? Red? Your natural brown looks much cuter. These make you look all vampire-ey," Lily was really starting to freak out at this point and all three of us felt the desperate need to jump out and help her. We knew what was happening- Nick's vision was coming true. Something held us back though and not fear. It was like a magical force was holding us down unable to interfere.

"It means that if we want to stop Apophis someone has to go down that abyss and Apophis won't have any regrets about throwing someone in so neither can we." Alice spoke with faux regret in her voice.

"This isn't funny," Lily told her trying to break away, but at that moment Lily's heel broke and no way could she outrun seemingly super-strong Alice. "Stop!"

"It has to be this way, I'm sorry Lily, but you're the dumbest, the weakest. You're of no use except to be used as canon fodder," as Alice grabbed Lily's neck and held her over the abyss whatever force had been holding me down broke.

"Stop!" I screamed jumping from my hiding place, but it was too late. By startling her Alice had released her grip on Lily and the girl tumbled into the black pit.

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The chapter's short, I know, but come on is there a better 1/2 hour cliffhanger?


	15. Chapter 15 House of Set

Sorry (not) for the cliffhanger. Don't forget to review with who you want Luce to end up with!

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Chapter 15 (more like 14.5 but I'll call it 15)

House of Set

In a feat of heroics Anubis plunged onto the hard cavern floor and grabbed Lily's arm just before she fell out of reach. With my and Nick's help we managed to pull the girl up safe and sound. Grabbing her hand Nick and Anubis flew out of the cavern and back up to school leaving me alone to face Alice.

There was something very, very, wrong with the girl besides the fact that she just almost sacrificed Lily, one of her oldest friends, to a giant abyss. Lily had been right, Alice's eyes were a flaming red, but she didn't have contacts in. I knew colored contacts; I wore them every day. These were not contacts and neither where her brown eyes. Something was making Alice's eyes burn red and whatever that something was THAT was what tried to kill Lily, not Alice.

" Master, what are you doing here?" Now that I'd realized it wasn't really Alice anymore I noticed that even the voice was deeper, more masculine. Why this this was calling me master, I had no clue, but at least that meant it would listen to me.

"That is none of your business, demon." I tried to speak confidingly and not like I was more confused than ever. But whatever possessed Alice knew that I spoke with stolen words and laughed.

That's right. Alice!Monster let out a sickening, blood curtailing laugh. "So that's what's going on. You made yourself forget who you were and created a life for yourself. I will admit, I like this form." I had no idea what Alice!monster was talking about, but a name popped into my head.

"Set." The name of the god of evil rolled off my tongue easily causing Alice!Set's eyes to rise in surprise.

"So you do remember... way back there in on the edge of your mind you still remember everything. That also means this," Alice!Set waved her hand over my body, "Is temporary. I better do what you say then because I don't want you mad at me when you remember."

The god's strange words meant nothing to me consciously, but subconsciously I could feel the gears turning as they tried to break down some wall of memories I'd apparently put up. I'd have plenty of time later to figure out what the heck was going on, but for now I needed to get Set out of Alice.

Wait a minute... he said he was going to do as I said. Smiling broadly I put on my commanding face and spoke, "You will leave Alice Miller and never possess her or anyone again. And no killing!"

"You're no fun boss," Alice!Set told me pouting, "But I'm sure, once you remember, you'll realize how amiss that request was and take it back. Until then my Lady." Alice!Set fake took off his hat and bowed before a stream of red smoke plumed out of Alice leaving the girl crumpled on the floor.

Unsure what else to do I rested Alice's head on my lap waiting for the unconscious girl to awake. I heard a crunch as someone fell through the Senet board and came running towards me.

"What happened?" Sarah asked bending down next to her best friend. "I was in the kitchen eating lunch when Lily comes out screaming that Alice tried to kill her. Is that true?"

"It wasn't Alice," I explained. "She was possessed by Set, the god of Evil."

"They're five sides to an obelisk," Alice muttered as she woke up. "That's what he kept saying."

"Osiris said there were four chosen, one for each side of the obelisk, but Alice is right, there are five four sides and a bottom. There's me, Chosen of Osiris, Alice, Chosen of Set, Nick, Chosen of Anubis..."

"Lily is Chosen of Isis," Alice coughed sitting up. She was still pail, but no longer possessed she'd live. "Even before you jumped out and got him to stop another force was fighting-Isis."

"You got him to stop," Sarah asked as I spoke over her.

"Alice. Set seemed to think I was somebody important. Do you remember who he thought I was?" If Alice could tell me what was going on... I needed to know. Everyone seemed to think I'd know when necessary, but it seemed pretty necessary now.

Unfortunalty, Alice shook her head. "No... I remember everything up until you came out. Then I hear your voice and it's it's like a misbehaving child just heard their mom. Set was terrified... I don't remember the rest but Luce, I'm so, so, sorry."

"Shh," I told the sobbing girl. "It's okay. Don't worry. I didn't really expect you to remember."

"No! That's not what I'm sorry about... the way I treated you... that's why Set chose me because... because I'm evil," Alice fought off my gentle touch and continued to sob hysterically.

"You're not evil," I assured the girl. "The gods don't work that way. Osiris and Anubis are gods of death, but that doesn't make them dead. You're not evil."

"Luce. Do you have any clue what's going on?" Sarah pleaded.

I shook my head regretfully, "I'm... I'm sorry, but I don't. I know there are the scales and that Apophis wants them but..."

"December 21st," Alice whimpered wiping away the tears from her eyes. "That's when it's going to happen. It's... it's the day when Apophis is strongest. He'll possess his chosen and he will be able to walk right over this chasm without any help. We have to stop him. You don't understand. Set's been fighting Apophis for years and he... he's horrible."

"I know," I whispered to the girl. "And we'll stop him."

"But how?" Sarah asked weakly. "The 21st is in three days and we still can't get across without the sacrifice."

Sarah was right... or was she? "Sarah. Grab me one of those flashlights."

"You mean a torch?" A confused Sarah asked already moving.

"Whatever. Just grab me something bright," I demanded unsure exactly where I was going. Sarah handed me the brightest lantern around and I immediately tossed it over the edge.

"What the..." Sarah began until she saw what i saw.

"It's not endless, it's only about 30 feet! You don't need a sacrifice because of some mystical force..."

"You need a sacrifice to push the button," Alice finished pointing the the large red button at the bottom of the chasm. "But how do we get down there?'

"I think it's time Sibuna and the COE joined forces," I told Sarah hoping she wouldn't be too stubborn and refuse the help.

"Sibuna?" Alice questioned. "My parents used to tell a story about how in high school they were in a club called Sibuna that solved mysterious... I always thought it was a story but."

"Apparently it's not." Wow. How had we come up with the same name as Nina's group without even knowing? It was almost like destiny. "Well then," I told them placing my right hand over the eye. "Welcome to Sibuna mark 2."


	16. Chapter 16 House of Decent

You have voted and now your winning ship shall be developed... they're such a terrible couple.

To points to whoever can spot the Doctor Who reference

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Chapter 16 (already)

House of Decent

"Meet in by the door 11:55. We'll use the chiming clock to sneak past Andy." The message was spread across Anubis house quickly, but I still had worries. It seemed that Andy was the only one left to be Apophis's Chosen and if he did a room check and there wasn't a single kid in the house... there was so going to be Hell to pay.

Not that it really mattered. He was going to kill us anyway in a couple days time. If the world ended on the 21's I'd never turn sixteen. No way was I letting some snake stop my sweet sixteen.

I tried so hard to forget what Set said, but I just couldn't. How was I Set's master when he had none? And what did he mean about me creating a life for myself. I know all about my life. I was born on December 22nd I grew up normal. My parents were named..."

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked looking up from a book. We weren't friends now, no way, but we'd put the enmity behind us for the sake of the world. "You look half constipated."

I rolled my eyes at her half concern. "It's nothing," I lied quickly.

Sarah placed the book on the bed and made her way over to me. "Do you want to know one of the Osirian superpowers? I can tell when people are lying." I doubted that was an Osirian power, but I didn't correct her.

"It's just something Set said," I confided. Maybe it was stupid to be confiding in someone who a few hours ago hated me, but trust had to go both ways. "He said that whoever I really am this life that I know I made up... everything before coming here doesn't exist. And now... you know what forget it. It's stupid."

"Luce. Maybe I can help you figure out your superpowers with my superpowers. But you have to tell me everything."

"I can't remember my parents names," I whispered. "Or their faces. I remember that my dad murdered my mom, shot me and then killed himself, but I don't remember their names or anything beyond that. I hadn't even realized it but I don't miss them! That can't be normal not to even remember their names or their faces or miss them? I've gone completely insane!"

It was obvious Sarah had been expecting my problems to be a bit smaller, but she just sighed and spoke. "I'm sorry Luce. That's horrible, but I think you have to believe what Set said."

"So I don't really exist? Lucetta Ra isn't real just an identity I'll keep until I find my fob watch?" Sarah just shook her head regretfully and I knew. I knew that I needed to do this not for humanity, but for myself. I had to find out who I really was and why all my memories were faked or this decent into insanity would continue.

I tried to get some sleep before our Sibuna meeting, but my dreams were plagued with images of nameless, faceless parents shooting one another.

Right before lights out Alice came into our room and to my surprise went over to my bed instead. "I'm going to stay here tonight... I don't feel right going back near the chasm after what happened..."

"You know that wasn't you right? It was Set?" I reassured her. I might not know who I am, but at least I didn't try to kill one of my oldest and closest friends. It couldn't be fun to be Alice Miller at the moment.

"I know, but I'm just scared," Alice confessed. "And it will be good then if Andy starts being suspicious I can distract him with some form of emergency.

"That's a good idea," I told the girl with a smile. "I'd leave someone else too, but we're going to need all hands on deck if we're going to do this."

"Aww. Don't be hard on yourself," Sarah called from the other side of the room. "You're not that heavy."

Everyone met downstairs all dressed in black (to humor Felix) at 11:55 precisely. As soon as the clock started bellowing out charms we quietly opened the door and escaped into the darkness. "You have it?" I asked Anubis catching up to him.

I saw a slight not as he replied, "Yeah... but are you sure this is a good idea? It's really dangerous?"

"Less dangerous than Apophis eating the sun," I told him with a shrug. "It'll be fine, don't worry."

"I always worry around you," I heard Anubis mumble under his breath causing my cheeks to flame red. We arrived at the library and Nick showed the new Sibuna members the way into the tunnels. I went second to last, only Anubis behind me. As we crawled through the narrowest part of the tunnel I heard a muttered, "I like this view." If I'd been able to turn around and slap him Anubis would have been so dead. Guys! They have two brains and only one works!

I insisted that Anubis go ahead of me in fear of the flaming 'r' and message appearing again. While no new riddle arrived the spaces continued to burn where I stepped. This oddity only strengthened my resolve to figure out what was going on and who I was.

By the time I got close enough to see the chasm the others had already set up. A heavy duty rope was fastened around the largest stalagmite. Heading over to the edge I tied myself and prepared for the decent down to reach the button. No one had voted on who would be going, but we all knew I was the only option.

That was, besides Anubis. "Luce... let me do this," he pleaded. "If the rope breaks you'll die and whoever you are you're more important than the just the Osirian's kid brother."

"I'll be fine," I assured the nervous boy as I tested the roped strength. "And you're probably the strongest of us all. We need you up here to pull me back up."

"This is ridiculous. There has to be another way!" Anubis continued.

"Yeah," Lily reminded him. "And it involves one of us being thrown down there."

"You guys have me secured?" I asked and once I received I nod I flashed a brave smile before jumping into the darkness.

The falling was the worst part, but it happened so quickly I didn't have any time to think before the rope came to an abrupt halt almost giving me whiplash.

"What's it like down there?" Sarah called from above.

"Dark," I bellowed back. Looking down I realized we'd misjudged the fall considerably and even with our 40 foot rope I was a good ten feet away from the button. Sighing I began to untie the rope.

"What the hell are you doing?" Anubis cried catching a sight of my actions from above.

"It's too short. I'll have to drop, press the button, and then have one of you came down and grab me!" I cried back up to them. Dropping to the ground I somehow managed to land on my feet. Must be all the Egyptian stuff making me like a cat.

I found it silly that at the end of all that there was only a simple, red button. But then again, this would probably be the only time in my life there was a big, friendly, button.

The second my hand slammed down I heard sliding as a bridge came out from either side of the chasm. It didn't look very study, but it was wide enough to walk over easily and make it to the other side.

"I'm coming down to grab you," I heard Anubis yell. "The others can manage us this is ridiculous."

Before I had time to fight him Anubis had jumped into the chasm after me. Reaching down with all his might I managed to just grab Anubis's leg. Using strength no one would expect from his lean body Anubis pulled me up into his arms as the others slowly lifted us back up.

"You should have let someone else come," I told Anubis as I held onto him for dear life.

"Nope," Anubis told me. "Wasn't going to happen."

"And why is that?"

"Because none of them know you like I do and care enough to risk everything to help."

"A," I whispered to him. "We've been talking for three days."

"Naw... i was the first person you met here... and we might not have talked, but I watched you. I watched you fight as everyone put you down. Then I watched you stay when they finally thought they got rid of you. I've known you longer than anyone else alive. Longer than I think you've known yourself."

"That's silly," I told him looking into those deep eyes. "I've known myself forever."

"That's not true," he whispered pulling me closer than i thought possible. "You still don't know yourself, but I do."

Maybe it's silly considering we were suspended in midair, but I felt Anubis lean in and pull me into a tight kiss.

"Wow! That is not what I expected," Sarah cried. "Oh my god that's my brother and I will never get that image out of my head."

Blushing I pushed past the rest of Sibuna and made my way onto the bridge.


	17. Chapter 17 House of the Obelisk

This is coming to a close guys, because I've forgotten the other tasks I had planned. There's still a few more chapters to go though so don't cry yet!

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Chapter 17

House of the Obelisk

"Did that task seem just a bit... too easy?" Sarah asked me as we crossed the bridge. "I mean considering what it's protecting... the other ones we had to re-disable were ridiculous! It took us weeks to do anything and you just did that in a day."

"Maybe it was supposed to be easy," I told her with a shrug. I'd try to be positive, but I'd been having the same doubts. That had gone off practically without a hitch. So why so easy?

The next room made it clear why so easy. "Only the blood of the chosen can open the door," I read from the wall.

"What do you mean?" Felix asked stepping closer. "You can read Egyptian?"

"It's not Egyptian," Sarah told Felix. "Stop being a jerk."

"Um Sarah. It is in Egyptian," Greg repeated. "It's a bunch of pretty pictures. Are you really seeing English?"

"Stop it Greg," Lily replied. "You look like a fool."

"Wait," I told them all. "I have a theory. Who here sees it in Egyptian, "Greg and Felix's hands shot up, but the rest remained down. Personally, I saw Egyptian, yet I could still read it, just like the other hieroglyphics before. Just more weirdness to add to my collection I guess.

"I guess we know who the Chosen of Horus is then," Nick replied slapping Anubis. "Welcome to the club mate."

"So I'm dating the Horution," I told Anubis with a smirk. "Nice name."

"Who said anything about dating?" He cried back.

"You when you kissed me," I reminded him. "Wasn't that basically you asking me out?"

"Well yeah, but I didn't technically ask you out so technically we're not dating."

"Well now we are okay?" I told him grinning widely while everyone else just rolled their eyes.

"Well fine," Anubis was pretending to be annoyed, but his smirk said otherwise.

"Well if you're done with that, which is cute by the way I like Anuce," Lily told us. "What does it mean 'the blood of the Chosen? I don't like the sound of that."

Looking around I spotted something that sent that caused the blood to boil in my veins. A tall obelisk stood tall on a raised platform. Walking towards it I knew what the message meant.

"You have to place a drop of blood. There's the symbol for each god here. You each place a drop of your chosen blood on the side that corresponds with your god."

"But just a drop right?" Lily asked. "Because I really don't want to bleed out."

"Yeah I drop should do it," I assured halfheartedly. I couldn't help but think of the riddle...we'd find the obelisk and now there was going to be a new king, but a new king of what?

"Well Alice isn't here and we need her for this," Nick told reminded. "I say we come back down at lunch tomorrow and do it then. That way if there's another task we'll have time before the solstice."

"No!" I cried a bit too quickly. "I mean it takes to long to cross the bridge... we'd miss afternoon classes, get grounded, and not be able to go down again at night."

In reality I just needed more time to think about the king thing, but the others agreed. Somehow the one they all hated had become the leader. We'd come back down tomorrow night. I had 24 hours to figure out what was really going on. 24 hours until the end.

"What are you thinking about?" Anubis asked me while we were walking back from the library. "You have that pensive look."

"I was thinking that now was a really bad time to get a boyfriend." It was partially true, but only a few of my thoughts had been directed at Anubis.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get the scales tomorrow and the world won't end in two days time. Then you'll be glad you have a boyfriend to celebrate with." Typical cocky Anubis (and maybe that's what I liked)

"Someone's going to get hurt. Someone's going to die because of our actions. I can feel it," I whispered to Anubis.

"I'm sure it's not a real premonition... and if someone dies it's going to be Apophis or Andy. The evil guys always lose Luce. Goodness wins." I wished that was true, but in real lie, maybe not.

"If I'm in charge of Set, who is bad, how can I be good?" It was my deepest fear. More than I worried about the people who I knew would die. More than I worried about this new king. I worried the most about whether or not I was good.

"Of course you're good," Anubis said kissing me on the forehead. "I don't date evil people."

"I thought you thought evil made a girl sexy?" I joked thinking back to his profile. It was only yesterday, but it felt so much longer.

"And I thought you liked having the sun eaten. I guess neither of us told the truth on those forms," Anubis replied with a chuckle. "There was one truth though." He confessed.

"What? You really like evil women?"

"No," Anubis told me quietly. "But at the time they thought you were the Chosen of Apophis and I said that I liked that. I really meant was I liked you."

"Well I'm glad. Because you seem just like the kind of guy to enjoy picnics with the sun being the main dish." I went up to my room with a smile on my face that didn't disappear until I fell asleep and the nightmares started.


	18. Chapter 18 House of Blood

Chapter 18

House of Blood

"It felt so weird, doing classes and acting normal when I know tonight I'll be spilling my blood for the sake of the Universe," Anubis told me as we were walking back to Anubis house. I wasn't really listening to him though. I was running out of time to figure out who this king could be a still nothing came to mind besides Apophis winning and becoming king of chaos.

"Hey, A, do you mind going ahead. I forgot something back at school and need to grab it," I told the boy before realizing I'd just talked right over him.

"Do you want me to come?" It seemed Anubis didn't by my story. He would be right not to, but hopefully he knew me as well as he said and could understand that there were somethings I wanted to do alone.

"Nah. I'm good it will only take a little bit. Meet you back at the house," I turned and ran back towards the school before veering toward the library.

"Sorry we're closed for the day," Nina spoke when I opened the door. "Oh. It's you, Luce. I hear you're dating my son."

"How?" I asked but Nina just waved a hand.

"News travels fast around here. Basically Fabian heard Lily talking loudly about it and texted me. But I'm guessing you're not here to talk about your love life with my son."

"I know you can't tell me who I am... I think I'll know tonight anyways. What I want to know is do I want to know? Set... Set possessed Alice and said somethings that have made me wonder."

"I know," Nina told me softly. "Like I said, Lily talks loudly. Her mother, Amber, always did too. You're wondering if you really didn't exist before." I nodded even though that hadn't been my main question. "Yes. You didn't exist until you showed up at the airport. It's standard these days for us to do a bit of research before excepting someone and when I researched you... well you didn't exist."

"So why did you let me come? I could have been a spy or terrorist or something?"

"You could have been, but you weren't. I've been around crazy long enough to spot it when I see it. I knew whatever you were you belonged here. Then, when we first met, your contacts popped a bit and I saw your eyes. I knew then who you were, but no I won't tell you yet."

"Can you tell me this then?" If Nina couldn't tell me... I'd go forward anyways, but I really needed to know. "I'm not one of the chosen, they're Nick, Anubis, Sarah, Lily, and Alice. The big question is, do I want to know who I really am?"

"Probably not," Nina told me regretfully placing a book on the shelf. "But you need to if this world is to survive. You came for a reason and now we need you to save us."

"Am I evil?" I asked before walking away.

Nina, to my great surprise, hugged me and whispered in my ear, "You're still you. Even when you know the rest you're still Luce and will only be evil if you tell yourself that's what you are."

I walked back to the house in silence and prepared for our journey down into the tunnels.

Anubis tried to talk to me all through dinner, but it was like I had moved to a different planet. Nothing anybody said to me could get through the wall I'd put up. For the others the journey was just beginning, but I knew in my heart that for me it was almost over.

Just as last night we snuck out at midnight. It was now the 21's. "Happy birthday Sarah, Anubis, Lily, Alice, and Nick. I hope your birthday luck saves us," I whispered under my breath. The moon was almost full in the dark sky and seeing its light gave me the strength to carry on walking. Before crossing the bridge with he others Anubis pulled me over to the side.

"I've been giving you space all day, but now you have to tell me what's wrong. I want to help Luce. I really care about you," Anubis pleaded.

"When we do this I'm going to know who I am. I can feel it. Dawn's coming early," I whispered so the others couldn't hear.

"That's good then isn't it?" A confused Anubis asked. "You want to know who you are so you can stop worrying. Right?"

Pulling Anubis in for a deep life-breathing kiss I wait until we broke apart to answer. "That all depends on what I find out."

The others were already surrounding the obelisk in their rightful places and Anubis joined them by the symbol of Horus. Using the knives we'd stolen from the kitchen one by one the chosen pricked their fingers and placed the blood on the sigil. With each new drop of blood a side of the obelisk lit up like a new star. Anubis was the last to go and before he went Anubis spoke, "After I do this there is no going back. The scales are 100% our responsibility and we must protect them. Are we sure this is the right thing to do?"

In their turn each Sibuna member placed their right hand over the right eye in a solemn promise that this was what they wanted. When my turn arrived I hesitated only a second before making the pledge. "Sibuna" I spoke and the others replied in turn.

With a deep breath breath Anubis pricked his finger, placed it on the sigil, and lit up the side.

Nothing happened. No doors opened, no scales appeared, only the Obeslisk stood standing tall.

"Well that was useless," Felix finally said from the side where he stood. "Shouldn't something have happened?"

"You know what the ancient Egyptians said about obelisks?" I asked the others stepping closer to the stone. "They said it was a frozen ray of light. The frozen power of Ra just waiting for the god to claim it."

"Luce, don't!" Anubis cried grabbing for me. Clearly he understood as I now did. "There has to be another way!"

"There never was," I whispered to him. "I can see it all now and I understand. Lucetta Ra never existed, she never was supposed to exist. And now... and now I've found my fob watch."

Before anyone could touch me I slammed my palm against the obelisk taking in its power.


	19. Chapter 19 House of Ra

Before you read, I'd like to say thank you. There shall be an epilogue, but for the actual story... well this is it. Also, sorry for the POV change, but Luce... Luce is unavailable to tell the story at the moment and she apologizes for any inconveniences.

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Chapter 19

House of Ra

Anubis's POV

It was all gone. The obelisk disappeared in a flash of light Luce... Luce going with it. Doing as Luce would have wanted we pressed ahead into the next room and discovered the scales too were gone.

We'd failed. Apophis had somehow gotten here ahead of us and the scales were just... just gone.

"Is she... is Luce dead?" Sarah asked me grabbing my hand like she used to when we were kids. We had barely talked all year, but now, when we needed each other, were were twins again.

"I don't know," I told her slumping to the floor. "I don't know."

"Anubis," a terrified Lily said sitting besides me. "You were trying to stop Luce from doing something... what, what were you trying to stop."

"I figured it out the same time she did I think. Or maybe she knew all along and was just lying I don't know," I told them taking gulping breaths. Already the pain of loss was just too much. I needed to find Luce and know that she was safe.

"Who is she?" Alice asked softly. "Because I know she's not human and she's not one of us, but I don't know who..."

"Ra," I whispered. "Ra took a human form as Luce, but when she touched the obelisk her power and godly knowledge returned."

"Sorry, but do you mean Luce is like an Egyptian Jesus?" Felix asked of his friend. I just nodded.

"I guess so... I don't really understand either but it makes sense. Ra could control Set... Set helped him fight Apophis every night..."

"But how can LUCE be Ra?" Sarah repeated in disbelief and I couldn't blame her. The idea that Luce, who despite her oddness was so normal, was Ra, the god of the gods... it was ridiculous.

"She's not," my mom told us appearing from around the corner.

"Mom? What are you doing down here?" I asked stepping closer to her. What on earth was she doing down here?

"Luce... Luce knew what was going to happen and asked me to come and explain when it did."

"You knew all along?" Sarah clearly felt betrayed and I was with her. My mom had known I was dating Ra and didn't say anything... yet now she said I wasn't dating Ra. Gods I was confused.

"Yes, and I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you," my mom swore shaking her head. "But I knew there was a reason she's forgotten."

"You said she's not Ra. What do you mean Aunt Nina?" Lily asked fretfully.

"Luce is and isn't Ra. Technically she's Raet-Tawy, the female incarnation of Ra. Gods aren't like us. They can have many forms, many bodies but the same mind with the same memories and powers. Luce was a form of Ra that has now folded back into Raet-Tawy his female version."

"So Luce is gone," I whispered. Just when I'd finally gotten Luce to notice me she was snatched away again. "She's gone for good."

My mom looked into my eyes before speaking with the utmost sincerity. "It is possible Luce could come back, but it is unlikely. The only way that could happen would be if some other god defeated Apophis and made themselves king of the gods. It's been done before... Isis once helped her son Horus snatch power away from Ra. The only way Luce would come back would be fore someone to do it again."

My mom knew that I was the Chosen of Horus and that I'd do anything to get Luce back. That is why she gave us the hope that might prove false- so that we could see it didn't.

"How do we defeat Apophis? If not only to save Luce, but to save the Universe from destruction," Sarah spoke with a force I'd never seen before. At that moment Sarah looked less like a gentle princess and more like a warrior.

"There are two ways Apophis can be beaten on the solstice. Ra, or in this case Raet-Tawy, can fight and banish him until the fight starts again the next night, as it always had been. Or, the five most powerful gods can find a paragon in their Chosen and together destroy Apophis once and for all," my mom explained.

"Great!" Alice cried. "Then why don't they just do that?"

My mom gave us all a sad look before turning and speaking over her shoulder. "Because for that to happen all of you have to let yourselves get possessed."

All of us Chosen shook at my mom's words, but none of us, not even Alice who probably got the worst end of the deal, considered letting Raet/Luce take on Apophis. We could bring Luce back and save the world by doing this and so we would do it.

"So how do we get possessed?" Nick asked quietly. "With Alice it just happened..."

"I have an idea," I told them. A circle of sigils surrounded where the scales should have been and on each sigil was the name of a god. Hoping that I was right I slammed my hand against the sigil.

Immediately I felt a new power inside me. I felt like the air and the sky as a voice inside my head whispered, "There was a reason you were my Chosen."

With Alice, Set had taken complete control, but now as my friends followed in my lead we reached a perfect balance of human and god.

"There is nothing stronger than a true paragon," Horus whispered inside my head. "Now let's make me king again."

The cool thing about kinda-sorta being a god is that you don't have to walk. One minute I was in the tunnels and the next in a clearing by Anubis house. Raet had beaten us there and looking at her I wondered if Luce was too far gone to come back. She looked like Luce, but at the same time she didn't. Luce's chocolate hair had turned sun-red while her orange eyes literally were sunlight. The body and the face were the same, but the girl I saw before me was not my girlfriend, not at all.

"But we can get her back," Horus assured. "That man, with the long greasy black hair has something called the Touchstone of Ra. If Raet-Tawy gets it she will destroy Apophis and we won't be able to get Luce back. We need that stone."

"Victor," Even Raet's voice was different than Luce's sweet one. "There was a time when you put a single child's life ahead of your dreams of eternity;yet, you will now destroy the world for it?"

"Don't listen to him," It appeared Andy was Apophis after all. Considering his cruel nature it wasn't surprising, but seeing the completely black eyes of the housekeeper was still disturbing. "Our deal still stands. I have the cup already on the scales. When we place the stone there the power of Ra will make us forever eternal. It's what you always wanted."

"He's Apophis," I screamed causing the others to notice the Chosen and their gods. "He wants to destroy everything."

"Ra almighty," Victor cried upon realizing he'd been duped. "I will not work for you, never! There is no life without a world to live in!"

As Victor defied Andy!Apophis Raet swung in to claim her touchstone. Sarah!Osiris however saw it coming and swooped down first and grabbed the stone. An enraged Apophis shot a burst of pure chaos at Victor causing the old man to fall on the ground. Lily!Isis went over to heal him, but it was too late. The man who wanted to live forever had died.

"Mother," Horus screamed using my mouth. "Give me the stone so I shall once again be king."

Raet barreled towards Lily!Isis Apophis forgotten. Before Raet could grab the stone Nick!Osiris swooped in to protect his wife. All the while Alice!Set sent flaming balls of red magic at Apophis battling one Chaos with another. Teleporting next to Lily!Isis I grabbed the stone feeling the raw power of Ra in my hands. I could do anything with it, but there was only one thing I wanted. Pointing the stone at Andy!Apophis I felt Horus's magic combine with the stone and my raw need to save Luce. A fire of power exploded from the tip of the stone striking the evil serpent down for the final time.

"My son has killed the serpent Apophis," Sarah!Osiris announced. "He is the rightful king of the gods."

There was no actual power that came with that title. I could feel that, but there was the power of a thousand gods behind me/Horus that was unimaginable. For a brief moment I could see everything.

"And now that you've seen what it is like to be a god it is time I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Without you I would have no power against Apophis and so in your name I will make a request," Horus told me in my mind. Now speaking aloud Horus addressed Raet. "You will respect me as your king or face the power of all gods. Do you offer a full and complete surrender?" I could see the pain on Raet's face as she knew she'd lost, It almost made me feel bad.

And then I remembered that she'd basically killed my girlfriend and all my sympathy disappeared.

"Yes, my lord," Raet answered with the slightest bow possible.

"Then of you I have a request. Relinquish the form Luce from you and return her to her human state," Horus demanded but Raet shook her head.

"That is not possible, for Luce was never human. I can however recreate the apparent human body and mind that your Chosen Anubis seeks."

"So Luce will be normal again?" Lily asked and I hadn't even realized that the rest of the gods had already relinquished their Chosen.

"She will be as you knew her physically but I can't make her forget the memories again," Raet assured and I knew it was the best I would get. Immediately the flaming hair and eyes disappeared and a normal Luce collapsed unconscious.

"A human with the mind of Ra. I do not envy your journey of love," Horus chuckled inside my head before the god disappeared leaving me to go and hold Luce.


	20. Epilogue House of Endings

And to you who has stuck with Luce until the very end

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Epilogue

"Is that really a true story, grandma?" little Jenna asked. As the youngest of my nine grandchildren and three children Jenna would most likely be the last child I'd live to tell my tale to. Hopefully she and the others would remember the words Grandma Luce told them and pass it on for their children to know.

"Of course it is Jenna. I was there and would know," Even after all these years Anubis was still the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. The life in his eyes still burnt brighter than the sun inside of me and would until the day he died.

"Well I don't believe it," the little girl huffed causing us to smile. "I'm going to find Fabby and see if he believes it."

Once the little girl disappeared I rested my old head on Anubis's lap before opening up the old Sibuna photo-book. The first picture was one I'd taken the day I arrived at Anubis house in the rain and the rest documented my life in a better way than anyone could imagine. For the rest of our high school years Sibuna had managed to survive with little trouble. (Some is to be expected with five Chosen Ones and a goddess under one roof.) Unable to resist the pull of destiny Nick and Sarah married only a week after Anubis and me. Victor had left the school and Anubis house to Nina, who in turn left it to me. The school was still open, but Anubis and I decided it was best if we live in Anubis house over some poor unsuspecting teenagers. In turn I'd pass down the school to my children until one day Jenna would own it. Then we'd see if she believed my tale.

In a few weeks the 80th Sibuna reunion would be held at the house and just as we did every year the old gang would climb into the tunnels we'd roamed in hope of saving the world and ourselves while we were at it. Life was simple; we were happy and that's all a goddess girl can want.

The end

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Thank you thank you thank you thank you. If you're reading this I honestly can't thank you enough. I never expected to writing this story in three days, but I've had so much fun doing so. Thank you! Though I'm going to be back in school (tear) I will be writing a season 4 fan-fic in which Nina comes back (since I can't find a single completed one.) I hope you'll read it and until then cheers and thank you.


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